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Nate Hoffelder is the founder and editor of The Digital Reader:"I've been into reading ebooks since forever, but I only got my first ereader in July 2007. Everything quickly spiraled out of control from there. Before I started this blog in January 2010 I covered ebooks, ebook readers, and digital publishing for about 2 years as a part of MobileRead Forums. It's a great community, and being a member is a joy. But I thought I could make something out of how I covered the news for MobileRead, so I started this blog."

It’s sad for the companies trying to separate you from your money. PCs have been around long enough that most people understand their needs and are no longer stampeded by hype about the “latest and greatest”. Makes their marketing a lot harder, hence their sadness. 🙂

For many years back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, as a Mac consultant and trainer, I battled IT departments when a company’s art department wanted Macs and IT refused. I know exactly what goes on with them. They want to standardize around one system. Getting Mac’s into business used to be pretty hopeless.

But that it has all changed. Microsoft has no mobile strategy. They’ve completely failed with their smart phones. Blackberry is gone. So that leaves Android, which has some serious security issues, and iOS. Businesses are opting for iOS in waves for their business phones.

So then what? Yes, you’ve got nice cheap Windows systems, but cheap isn’t as much of an issue in businesses. And those new iMacs are very pretty and look nice in offices. And, as IBM pointed out, they are much easier for businesses to maintain. (And can even be booted up to run windows.) If all your business phones are increasingly on iOS, having desktop systems on OSX starts to make more and more sense, particularly since your graphics department really prefers them, and they are easier to learn on. And IT departments have trouble arguing why iPhones are fine for some things, but you can’t use Apple for others.

Then you have your laptops. Well, again, Windows laptops are much cheaper than Apple laptops. But Apple laptops are starting to move into business too. Once you’ve got an iMac on your desk, why not have a matching Apple laptop? Because of legacy software? Well, Windows desktop system keeps changing as they try to find a mobile strategy and there are security issues with it too. Harder and harder to justify. Microsoft was also finally forced to upgrade Office for iOS and Macs, so that isn’t an issue. Maybe there’s some accounting software or inventory… but most business can switch over to Mac no problem.

Meanwhile, the Surface, Microsoft’s big hope, is struggling. More iPad Pros sold in it’s first three months than Surface did in a whole year. Not a good sign. The big iPad Pro is terrific for presentations, and Apple’s Keynote software is much easier to use than PowerPoint.

Now enter the smaller more portable iPad Pro. I’m sure there are plenty of IT departments that are screaming at the suggestion of it as a Windows replacement. And we’ll hear a lot of fuss about why that won’t work.

But Apple doesn’t need to sell 600 million Windows replacements. It would be quite happy with 100 million. And with IBM’s help, that could easily happen. An executive who as an iMac on his desk, and a iOS phone, if given a choice between an Apple laptop or a Windows laptop, or an iPad Pro that they can also use to watch movies on the plane with, what will they choose? I think a lot of business people will choose iPad Pros if they are given a choice. And iPad Pro compared to a heavy, awkward Surface? Come on. It’s no comparison.

Add in the Pencil, which works much better than the Windows stylus, and that’s another reason. In the graphic departments, is over. With executives who like nice looking computers, its over. Are there accountants who will complain, sure. Secretaries? Given the choice of which to take home? Probably iPad Pro.

And once this trend starts, then IT departments will be the ones forcing everyone to standardize. It will be a lot easier for them to have everyone on iOS and OSX than a combination of iOS (for phones) Windows for accounting, OSX for graphics, iMac for executives, etc.

Will every business switch over? Of course not. Is it brilliant that Apple has started this debate? Yep.

And as for the “how dare Apple ask people to spend money” argument, come on! This is America. Companies make money selling stuff. They want people to buy new stuff. What, Ford should spend all it’s time telling people it’s fine to stick with their old cars? No need to buy new cars, that old one you have is just fine. That’s a pretty “sad” argument.

If you don’t want to buy a new computer, fine. What do you care what Schiller thinks? Talk about easy trolling. You think a new tech startup, looking to standardize around a mobile computing platform, is going to be turned off by Apple saying that old PC’s are “sad.” Or do you think they’re going to go… hmm… I want to be hip and cool and not sad.

You think some IT manager is going to have a stronger argument not to replace old windows laptops when employees claim that they are falling apart and out of date? It’s going to be easier for him to stand up to Apple and say, “those computers are perfectly fine.” Or do you think the top Exec might listen when employees complain and say… hey, these are pretty sad. Schiller is giving Apple fans in companies and excuse to demand iPad Pros. And odds are, it’s going to work for a few million units.

I on both iPad Pro and Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 3 is hardly heavy or awkward. Is it perfect? No, it does have touch issues because legacy software wasn’t built for touch. However tablet mode, and your typical Metro Apps, like Hulu and Netflix or just use the browser to play movies. It all works just fine.

That said, Ipad has its on issues. Multitasking being the biggest one, robust software (if they really want to replace a PC) is another.

I don’t think anyone ever expected Surface to outsell a iPad. I think your missing the point. Its not Surface sells, its all PC sells since Apple and only Apple makes iPad while Microsoft and a thousand other companies makes Windows tablets and PC’s. Surface was put out because OEM’s were making garbage. It was a reference points to help these idiots design a better Windows product, which many of them have now.

As to the 5 year debate and old PC’s. It only shows how strong PC’s are. The iPad wish it could run lag free and receive all iOS updates in five years. And I bet in five years the Surface will be much more usable than my iPad PRo. I just retired my iPad 3 which was laggy and slow and heck.

I do think Apple is moving in the right direction by finally adding pencil support. I would argue about it being better than Ntrig or Wacom. Perhaps for drawing it is, for writing, I’d take Ntrig. But I am not biased. I see all of their strengths and weaknesses and Apple has a long way to go to replace a PC but I think they could if all software moved to the cloud where the server the software sits on is doing all the hard work. Since companies seem to be trying to head this route, in a few years it could be possible. Right now its not, the iPad is just to lacking unless its just surfing or email.